ICT role in 21st century education and it's challenges.
Mayan Civilization
1. OLMECS AND MAYAS
Based on: http://www.slideshare.net/jmarazas/wh-
chapter-7-olmecs-and-mayas#
2. LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
The earliest American civilization emerged in the
tropical forests along the Mexican Gulf Coast
The Olmec civilization lasted from about 1400BC-
500BC
Archaeologists know very little about the Olmecs
Rich tombs and temples suggest that a powerful
class of priests and aristocrats stood at the top of
Olmec society
The Olmecs did not build cities---instead they built
ceremonial centers
5. LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
The most dramatic remains of the Olmec civilization
are the giant carved stone heads found in the ruins
of a religious center at La Venta
No one knows how the Olmecs moved these
colossal 40-ton stones from distant quarries without
wheeled vehicles or draft animals
7. LEGACY OF THE OLMECS
Through trade, Olmec influence spread over a wide
area
The Olmecs invented a calendar and used carved
inscriptions as a form of writing
Their most important legacy may be the tradition of
priestly leadership and religious devotion that
became a basic part of later Middle American
civilizations
9. THE WORLD OF THE MAYAS
Between 300AD-900AD Mayan city-states
flourished from the Yucatan in southern Mexico
through much of Central America
Mayans used a unique method of farming in the
tropical environment---they cleared the dense rain
forests and then built raised fields that caught and
held rainwater
They also built channels to drain excess water
This complex system produced enough maize
(native corn) and other crops to support rapidly
growing cities
15. TEMPLES AND PALACES
Towering pyramid temples dominated the largest
Mayan city of Tikal, located in present-day
Guatemala
Priests climbed steep temple stairs to perform
sacrifices while the people watched from the plazas
below
The Mayan pyramids remained the tallest
structures in the world until 1903 when the Flatiron
Building skyscraper was built in New York City
18. TEMPLES AND PALACES
Tikal also boasted large palaces and huge stone
pillars covered with carvings
The carvings recorded event in Mayan history
Much of the wealth of Tikal and other Mayan cities
came from trade
Goods traded included: honey, cocoa, cotton
cloth, and feathers
26. ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE
Watch the episode of Engineering and Empire and
describe the building techniques and importance of:
Tikal
Palenque
Chichen Itza
27. SOCIAL CLASSES
Each Mayan city has its own ruling chief
Nobles served as military leaders and officials who
managed public works, collected taxes, and
enforced laws
Rulers were usually men, however, Mayan records
and carvings show that women occasionally
governed on their own or in the name of young
sons
Priests held great power because only they could
conduct the elaborate ceremonies needed to
ensure good harvests and success in war
28. SOCIAL CLASSES
Most Mayans were farmers
They grew corn, beans, squash---the basic food
crops of Middle America---as well as fruit
trees, cotton, and brilliant tropical flowers
Men grew the crops while women turned them into
food
To support the cities, farmers paid taxes in food and
helped build the temples
29. ADVANCES IN LEARNING
The Mayans developed a hieroglyphic writing
system, which has only recently been deciphered
Mayan scribes kept their sacred knowledge in
books made of bark (Spanish conquistadors later
burned most of these books but a handful were
taken to Europe and are in museums)
Many priests were expert mathematicians and
astronomers and developed an accurate 365-day
solar calendar
Mayan priests invented a numbering system and
understood the concept of zero
31. ENTERTAINMENT: MAYAN BALL GAME
1st Team Sport in History (3500 years ago)
Much of society revolved around the game
Survival of both the players and spectators
depended upon the results of the game
Mayans sacrificed people to the gods to keep the
sun shining, crops growing and keep people
healthy.
What was more valuable than a ball player??
32. MAYAN BALL GAME
The goal of the game was to pass the ball
around, without having it touch your hands, and
then get the ball to pass through one of the rings.
Since the rings were so high and players were not
allowed to use their hands, it was extremely difficult
to get the ball through a ring.
In fact, when a player did manage to get a ball
through a ring, that usually ended the game.
People would gamble on the results
35. WHAT’S UP WITH THE MAYAN CALENDAR?
Was supposedly supposed to end on the Winter
Solstice in December 2012
Calendar wasn’t invented by the Mayans, most
cultures in the areas used it
Consists of 3 different wheels – Date, Tzolkin
(Divine) and Haab (Civil)
A typical Mayan date would read: 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau
8 Kumku, where 13.0.0.0.0 is the Long Count
date, 4 Ahau is the Tzolkin date and 8 Kumku is the
Haab date.
Works in a cycle and a set number of days needs to
occur before a new cycle begins
37. DECLINE
About 900AD, the Mayans abandoned their
cities, leaving their great stone palaces and temples
to be swallowed up by the jungle (some of these
were not “rediscovered” till modern times)
No one knows for sure why the Mayan civilization
declined
Some remnants of the civilization survive today:
millions of people in Guatemala and southern
Mexico speak Mayan languages and are
descendents from the original Mayans
38. INVESTIGATION
Exercise to determine why the Mayans fell
Some causes may have been---frequent
warfare, overpopulation and over farming, and
heavy taxes